What would you do with the extra white space now gracing the pages of Google+?

That's a question many users of the social network have been answering with the usual sarcastic spin we always love to see on the Internet.

Launching yesterday, the latest face-lift for Google+ added a slew of changes, including a new left-side navigation bar and new ways to interact with the people in your circles.

But the one change that's put people into full mocking mode is the new and extra-sized white space. Click on any virtually any Google+ page, and a good 40 percent is nothing but blank space.

The white-space flap has led to its own trending topic on Google+, where an array of users have chimed in with suggestions on how to use that space most effectively.

One user found the extra white space in front of his monitor a good spot to place his beer. Another put his cat in front of it. And a third angled his monitor into portrait mode to get rid of the white space entirely.

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Personally, I'm a fan of white space. I think most Web pages are way too cluttered, so a little breathing room isn't so bad. But in this case, the search giant may have gone a bit overboard. The extra space kind of makes the pages seem off-balance, like they're going to tip over.

The obvious questions are why Google designed the pages this way and whether the company plans to use that extra real estate for other content down the road.

A Google rep told CNET that some of the changes were indeed created for future needs.

"So while it may look clutter-free now, the idea is to give us space that will allow us to quickly grow," the rep said. "With today's foundational changes we can move even faster--toward a simpler, more beautiful Google."

I have hunch, though, that the company may have planned the whole "extra white space" conspiracy as a savvy marketing strategy. It quickly turned into a trending topic and has generated lots of buzz. What better publicity could you ask for?

About the author

Journalist, software trainer, and Web developer Lance Whitney writes columns and reviews for CNET, Computer Shopper, Microsoft TechNet, and other technology sites. His first book, "Windows 8 Five Minutes at a Time," was published by Wiley & Sons in November 2012.
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